


The Way This Could Go

by Liberte_Egalite_Broadway



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Fake/Pretend Relationship, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Innuendo, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Nureyev fakes a relationship with Jet to make Juno jealous, Other, Post-Season/Series 02, Seduction, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, he's not good at talking things through
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-01-22 20:30:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18534937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liberte_Egalite_Broadway/pseuds/Liberte_Egalite_Broadway
Summary: Juno had a chance with Nureyev, but he gave it up. Nureyev may not know how to talk to him, but he does know how to make Juno jealous. Unfortunately, there's only one person on this ship that he could actually do that with.So: seduce Jet Sikuliaq, suppress feelings for Juno Steel, and try to survive various heists in the meantime. How hard could this be?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bisexualism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualism/gifts).



> Me: I'm taking a long break from fanfic! You guys won't hear from me for a while! I have lots of things to do!
> 
> Me a few days later: oh god what if Nureyev hit on Jet to make Juno jealous. 
> 
> So now here I am. 
> 
> PLEASE BE ADVISED: this story is going to have a TON, and I mean a ton of innuendo and flirtation. I'm not tagging it as M, because nothing ever goes past making out, but if you're going to be uncomfortable, or you're under 13, you should read something else. Such as the Bible.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juno Steel will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime, Nureyev comes up with a plan.

The room is too hot. 

The room, to be fair, is really too small to be considered a room. A bunk underneath a loft for storage, a small table that unfolds from one wall, a chair welded to the floor beside said table, and a wardrobe barely big enough for all of his clothes. There's not a lot of air in this room to begin with, so it makes sense that it would warm up quickly once the heaters turned on for the night.

It's just  _more_ than warm, it's hot, and it feels oppressive. 

Peter Nureyev lies half-naked on the floor, staring at the ceiling. The floor, like most of this ship, is cold metal, so he tries to seep some coolness from it. He throws an arm over his eyes against the bright light. He can't sleep. 

Also, tomorrow they'll be entering the Mars orbit, and then picking up their two remaining crew members, and then -

He huffs and sits up, pushing his hair out of his eyes. He'll have to see Juno Steel again and he is completely not ready. The detective, he knows, will not want to see him. Juno made that abundantly clear. But then - what if he does? What will he say? It's been over a year and he still hasn't worked out his feelings towards the lady. One night certainly isn't going to fix that. 

Nureyev slinks into a standing position and stretches. Fine, he isn't going to sleep tonight. He might as well get out of this room before the heat gets to him any more. His fingertips pluck a robe from where he slung it across the chair, and he slings it on as the doors slide open. The ship's motion-sensing lights flicker to life as he passes under them. Buddy and Vespa are almost certainly asleep, having stayed up late the night before to calculate the ship's landing trajectory and whatnot. However, when the door to the kitchen slides open, he sees that Jet is awake, sitting on the counter drinking coffee. He looks as Nureyev comes in and smiles. 

"Hello, Emery. I am surprised to see you." 

"Same to you," replies Nureyev in the laughing lilt of Emery Fleur. Emery Fleur is much friendlier (and perkier) than Peter Nureyev, even this late at night. "What are you up to?"

"I must depart soon. I am picking Juno and Rita up from Hyperion City." 

"What, this early?"

"It is not early on Mars."

"I see." He gets himself a cup of tea and settles in at the table, waiting for Jet to ask what he's doing awake. But the other man just continues to drink his coffee. Nureyev ventures out with another question. "Does Juno... know that I'm here?"

"I believe he knows there is another person aboard the crew." 

That wasn't what Nureyev meant, but he doesn't want to attract more suspicion.

"Why?" asks Jet after another sip of coffee. "Would he recognize you if I mentioned your name?"

"No," says Nureyev. "He wouldn't recognize my name."

"Would not recognize Emery Fleur, you mean."

Nureyev sighs. His composure is not very good this late at night, and this on edge. If he allowed himself to think about Juno for long enough, he thinks he could start crying or laughing or possibly both. So instead he pushes the thoughts away and smiles faintly. "I see you have me all figured out." 

"What was the alias you met him under?"

"That would be telling." He sips the tea and drums his fingertips on the table. "So how long do we have before our landing?"

"I'll need a few hours to pick them up from the city. Then, Buddy will pilot the ship to the surface." 

He nods, not really listening to what Jet is saying. His mind is focused instead now on the fact that Juno Steel will be here, live and in person, eating in this kitchen, sleeping in one of the cabins, walking the halls. And Nureyev has no idea how he is going to cope with that fact. Every time he's thought about it, he's pushed the thought away, but soon it will be a reality. 

"May I ask," says Jet, as he takes his mug over to the sink. "And answer only if you want to." He leans back against the counter and studies Nureyev intently. "What exactly happened in your past with Juno?"

Nureyev allows himself a slight smile. As if he would actually confide the worst secret of his life to this legendary thief. As if keeping it in any longer, in its entirety, isn't going to destroy him anyway. But then again, he does want to build trust with Sikuliaq, and the entire crew. Trust is useful.

He considers his words carefully before directing three to the rim of his mug. "He hurt me." 

Jet nods, silently contemplating. After a moment, he comes over and puts his hand on the back of Nureyev's chair, not touching him, but a familiar gesture nonetheless. "I am sorry," he says. "But to speak in Juno's defense, he does not seem to be an unkind person."

Nureyev shrugs. "Perhaps not." He knocks back the rest of his tea. "I'm going back to bed. See you in the morning."

He goes back down the hallway to his room but doesn't get into bed just yet. Instead, once the door has slid closed, he perches on the chair and lights a cigarette. All he can think about is Juno. Juno, here, on this ship, in this crew. What will they say to each other? He tries to imagine every possible scenario. In one, Juno sees him and walks away without a word. In another, Juno pulls him aside and asks for forgiveness. In another, Juno runs straight to him, and they bury their hands in each other and -

No, he's definitely not going to think about that scenario. 

 _He hurt me._ That sums it up, doesn't it? Nureyev gave Juno everything he had to give, and it turned out Juno wanted something entirely different. What a fool Nureyev was.  _Run away with me, detective that I've just met. You said you wanted to know my name, well, here it is. I trust you. I'll be tortured for you. I'll kill for you. Twenty years on the run be damned, I'll give you anything you ask for. You want my heart? Take it, it's yours. Here, would you like my body too?_

What was it Jet said? "He does not seem to be an unkind person." Nureyev smiles grimly. No, Juno certainly didn't seem that way. He was gruff, certainly. A little jaded and a little rough around the edges, but not unkind. Nureyev would have taken such good care of him. There is so much good in the world, so much beauty, and he had planned to give Juno all of it. He would have taken him across the heavens, chased sunrises on every planet, stolen gifts for him, kissed away his tears, held him every night. Anything - everything - to take his pain away. 

Then Juno walked out.

This isn't the kind of thing they can just talk through once Juno arrives on the ship. There is so much hurt in their pasts alone, not to mention their past together, that he wouldn't know where to start. He's not even sure if rebuilding that future would be possible.

But if he can't get Juno Steel back, well then -

And suddenly an idea forms in his head.

\- well then, he can remind Juno Steel exactly what he walked away from. 

Juno had a chance with Nureyev, but he gave it up. Nureyev may not know how to talk to him, but he does know how to make Juno jealous. If Juno still wants him? Too bad. He'll be with someone else instead. 

He draws on his cigarette and thinks. Buddy and Vespa are out of the question. They're already together, and besides, the idea of him with either of them is laughable. Rita is also a no. He could maybe fake attraction to her, but if his one interaction with her is any indication, she might actually fall for him, and then he doubts he could keep up the illusion. Which leaves... oh no...

...which leaves Jet Sikuliaq. 

"Oh god," Nureyev whispers aloud. The thought of himself trying to seduce one of the greatest jewel thieves ever is... it's amusing at best and unsettling at worst. But could he do it? 

He thinks about that hotel room, and about waking up alone. His fingertip strokes absently at the curve of his collarbone, remembering the feeling of a certain detective's lips against that spot, and how empty his skin has felt since. He lifts his dark eyes to the mirror and studies himself. The shadows and cigarette smoke frame his face, making him look lovely and vaguely dangerous. And somewhere, beneath his lashes, there's a flicker of distant anger in his eyes. 

Of course he can do it. He's Peter Nureyev, damn it, he can do anything he sets his mind to. 

Tomorrow Juno will be here. But first, the thief needs to sleep. His cigarette has burned out, so he stubs it against the wall and drops it into the ashtray on top of his dresser. He takes off his robe and glasses, crawls into bed. The room is still warm, but he will endure it, and tomorrow he will set his plan in motion. 

So: seduce Jet Sikuliaq, suppress feelings for Juno Steel, and try to survive various heists in the meantime. 

How hard could this be?


	2. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juno and Rita arrive on the ship. Nureyev starts his plan, but Jet is going to make this much more difficult than he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buckle your seatbelts everyone

"Hello, Juno. It's been a while."

Nureyev has never seen Juno so completely off his guard before. The lady stands stock-still, his hands frozen and his mouth gaping. Nureyev arches one perfectly lined eyebrow and allows himself the faintest of smirks. He's planned this reunion for a while: pose, outfit, words. He hadn't exactly planned for the sight of Juno here before him again. Seeing the lady again is almost overwhelming, but he holds his composure. He smiles with red lips that he won't allow to tremble and pushes back his sunglasses. 

"Juno, darling," says Buddy with a smile. "I'm glad you decided to join us."

"Uh, yeah," replies Juno without looking at her. "Yeah, I'm... glad too." 

"You remember Vespa."

"How could I forget."

"And you must be Rita." Buddy sweeps over to the secretary, girlfriend on her arm, leaving Juno and Nureyev with nothing to look at but each other. Juno swallows hard, obviously trying to keep his eyes away from the thief's loose sleeveless blouse and tight black capris. Rita finishes ogling Buddy and Vespa and turns to say something to Juno, but then she frowns. "Hang on a sec!" she exclaims, seeing Nureyev. "Agent Rex Glass? What are you doin' here?"

"Wait," says Vespa. "You know each other?"

"Yeah! Mistah Glass works with Dark Matters, an' he helped Mistah Steel on a case before! Except - oh wait, you weren't really workin' for Dark Matters, were ya? That was a ruse, ooh! I remember now! Mistah Steel told me all about it and -"

"You've worked with Steel too?" Vespa seems very confused. Nureyev laughs and slides off the car. 

"I have," he says, quirking a smile. "But that was in the...  _distant_ past." He walks over to Jet with two long, calculated strides and tucks his arm casually around the taller man's elbow. If Jet is confused by this, he doesn't say anything. "Don't you remember me, Juno?" 

"Yeah." Juno tries to smile. It doesn't work _._ "Yeah, I remember."

"Well. This should be interesting." Buddy puts her hands on her hips and looks around at all of them. "Just understand that nobody's past matters aboard this ship. We are a team, and we work together. Is that clear?" 

Nureyev makes direct eye contact with Juno. "Crystal clear," he sing-songs. He squeezes Jet's bicep. "Would you mind taking the car back for me? I've just remembered I have something _very_ important to see to. If it won't trouble you." 

"It is no trouble." 

He gives a low laugh and releases Jet's arm. "You're a darling. Ta, everyone." 

And he walks away, letting his heels clack and his hips swish and feeling Juno's eyes follow him every step of the way. 

 

Seeing Juno again is so much harder than he expected it would be.

Once the Martian ladies are unpacked, they're given the grand tour of the ship. Juno hardly seems impressed, but Rita gasps and coos at everything. "Wow! Is this a real 2200 Crystal Control Screen? I ain't ever seen one in person before! Wow -Mistah Steel, look out that window! Look how small our planet looks from here!" 

Nureyev trails slightly behind the rest of the group, watching as Juno takes it all in. He finds himself scrutinizing everything through the detective's gaze, wondering what Juno thinks of the rusty windows, of the patched engine pieces, of the cramped quarters. He catches Juno's eye a few times and holds his gaze, letting the detective look away first. 

It is physically painful, but he's not going to let that show. 

Jet joins them about halfway through the tour with an apology, saying something on his bike needed a quick repair. Nureyev acts thrilled to see him. "Where were you?" he asks, striding through the other four to Jet's side. "You didn't say you were going anywhere."

"I am sorry. I did not think I was essential to this tour."

"You're essential to _us,_ silly. Oh, come here, let me fix this for you." He trails his fingertips along Jet's coat and smoothes out the lapels, letting one of his nails brush Jet's neck just above the collar. "It was all folded." 

"Ah," says Jet. "Thank you. I had been meaning to straighten that." He smiles and turns to Rita. "Has Buddy shown you our communications equipment yet? I hope you will it useful - it was selected especially for you."

"Ooh, lemme see it!" Rita skips after Jet, keeping pace with him because even her fastest strides just barely match up to his normal steps. 

Nureyev turns back to Buddy, Vespa, and Juno. To his surprise, Juno is looking at him with emotion on his face that Nureyev himself has only felt one or two times in his life. Shock. His eyebrows are raised, mouth slightly ajar. When he catches Nureyev looking he closes his mouth and flicks his eyes to the floor, before bringing them back to the thief's face. Nureyev winks. 

_You had your chance._

"Shall we continue?" asks Buddy pointedly. Juno snaps out of his trance. 

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, let's go."

"Are you sure? You look funny all of the sudden." 

"Nah, just... just a little tired. Let's finish the tour." He shoots a look at Nureyev and then forces his eyes away as he follows Buddy. Nureyev trails behind him, trying to feel satisfied but unable to conjure the emotion. 

 

The next few days are a whirl. Buddy and Vespa want to give everyone time to settle in properly, but they're also focused on setting another heist in motion, and achieving the proper balance seems to be a challenge even in their competent hands. The other four have plenty of time to spend acclimating to the ship's motions and schedules. Or, in Juno and Nureyev's case, avoiding each other. Or, in Nureyev and Jet's case, forgetting the definition of personal space. 

"Jet?" Nureyev asks, striding into the kitchen for breakfast ten minutes late. He's wearing both garters and thigh-high boots under a black dress, and while the look is over-the-top, it's effective.  Juno actually drops his fork. "Be a dear and bring me coffee, would you?" 

"Really, Emery," Buddy chides. "Get it yourself. You're the laziest person I've ever met."

"I do not mind," says Jet. "You have made me get you coffee before, Buddy." Buddy rolls her eyes and turns back to the charts she and Vespa are reading. Jet unfolds himself from where he's sitting next to Rita and goes over to the machine. "How would you like your coffee, Emery?"

Nureyev twists a string of pearls around his neck. "I like my coffee how I like my men," he drawls. "Sweet, but with a little... bite." 

Rita spits out her tea. Juno looks like he wants to crawl under the table and die. 

Jet stays where he is, holding a mug. "I see. So black with two sugars?" 

Nureyev sighs inwardly. "Sounds lovely, darling." Clearly, he has his work cut out for him. 

 

But Peter Nureyev is nothing if not persistent. He helps Buddy and Vespa plan, he shows Rita how to use the communication equipment, he flirts with Jet so shamelessly that it would almost be embarrassing if he weren't so utterly resigned to his goal. At night, he lies awake trying not to think about Juno a short walk away and unable to think of anything else. The detective is very quiet. He doesn't interact with Nureyev at all during meals or planning meetings. But then, he barely interacts with the others. It's hard to tell whether his distance is because he wants distance from Nureyev, or if it's because he's a naturally distant person.

Nureyev doesn't know how much Juno has changed since he last saw him. Actually, he realizes, he only every saw Juno in high-stress situations. What is the detective like when he's just... existing?

As the time on the ship extends, he starts to notice things. The rhythms of the songs Juno hums to himself when he thinks he's alone (unfamiliar songs, slow songs). The way he takes his coffee in the morning (cream, no sugar, and whiskey dumped straight into the mug). The way the detective fidgets with his eyepatch when he's nervous (it's frankly adorable). He sees everything and he wishes he didn't, because everything he sees, he tries to place in the context of the life they could have had. He could be learning Juno's coffee order by making it for him in the morning, rather than watching him across the room trying to hide his longing.

"Change of plans," says Buddy, snapping Nureyev out of the Juno-pining trance he's currently in. They're gathered around the conference table in their meeting room/rec room/storage room. He sits perched on a cabinet. Jet is in a chair nearby, and Nureyev has one ankle draped across the other man's leg. Buddy continues talking. "We're running supplies this afternoon instead of tomorrow," she says. "We need more fuel for the heating system. Oh, and we're all out of milk."

"And you can't wait until tomorrow for milk?" Juno asks. Annoyance looks cute on him. 

"No, darling, because I like having a glass of milk with dinner. I'm sending Emery and Rita on this one. Rita can hack into the store's systems to edit security footage, and Emery can steal what we need."

"Hacking that kind of footage is very difficult," interrupts Vespa. "And the security team is powerful. Are you sure you're up for it, Rita?" 

"Oh yeah!" Rita pumps her fist excitedly. "I'm really good at hacking, Miss Vespa, don't you worry! I can bring powerful people to their knees!" 

"I can, too," says Nureyev airily.

"Well, you have until this afternoon to do whatever it is you do all day." Buddy steps back from the table. "I'll have some fake IDs for you to to get into the system, but the rest is up to you. Alright, meeting adjourned. Vespa?"

The two women leave arm-in-arm. Nureyev stands up and stretches his arms above his head. He's wearing the tightest and shortest dress that he owns, and the stretch sends the straps sliding lower on his shoulders. In a single fluid motion, he leans one-armed against the table and takes out the Ruby7's keys with his other hand. "Jet, while we have time," he says, "Before the heist. Would you like to..." He jangles the keys slightly, suggestively. "Take me for a ride?" 

 "The car is out of fuel," says Jet. 

Nureyev blinks, just once. "Then fill it up." 

A chair across the table scrapes back loudly. "GOODBYE," says Rita. She walks away quickly, and the door slides shut behind her. 

"I cannot fill the car, because we do not have any fuel," says Jet. "You will have to steal some. Then I can drive you wherever you like." 

"Oh, you're no fun," sighs Nureyev, shrugging the strap lower on his shoulder. "Why don't you ever joke around?"

"Why don't you just leave him alone?" 

Nureyev turns in surprise to see Juno standing across the table. His arms are crossed, his eye narrowed; he looks annoyed and vaguely hurt. He waves one hand at Nureyev with an expression that is almost disgust. "I mean," he says. "Seriously." 

The thief feels a faint twinge somewhere in his chest. On the one hand, his plan has worked to a small degree, but on the other hand, that look...

"I have no idea what you mean," he says brightly. "We have so much fun together, don't we, Jet?"

"You are an enjoyable person to be around."

"You flatter me." He pushes back his chair. "Well, I suppose I'll go get ready now. Oh, but now I don't have a  _thing_ to wear." He shakes his head. "I tell you, crime these days has no style. I'm the only true artist left. Well, so long. Chat with you both later." 

 

Nureyev sits at the table in his room and studies his reflection. When he sighs, his breath fogs the glass ever so slightly. His fingertips trail over an array of brushes spread on the table before him, but he doesn't pick up any just yet.

_Why don't you leave him alone?_

The first words Juno has really addressed directly to him, solely for his benefit, since their reunion. Everything else the detective has said was spoken to the group, or in a way that was meant to disguise how he actually felt for the sake of said group. At least, it seems that way. Nureyev can't know for sure. 

Buddy didn't give an exact start time for their heist, but he decides to get ready anyway. He's just starting on his makeup when there's a knock on the door.

"Come in," he calls, expecting it to be Buddy or Vespa. The door slides open. Nureyev feels his heart skip a beat as Juno Steel steps in and the door slides shut behind him. 

"Mind if I sit down?" asks Juno in his low, husky voice. He's so sexy and  _no, stop looking at him._

The thief shrugs. "Be my guest." 

Juno perches slowly on the edge of the bed as if it might detonate if he sits too quickly. Nureyev tears his eyes off the detective and returns them to the mirror. "So," he says as he lines his eyes. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you." 

"You surprise me. I would have thought I wasn't worth your words." He glances at Juno in the mirror and can tell he's hit a nerve.  

"Yeah?" Juno murmurs defensively. "Well, I could say the same for you these past few days." 

"I haven't the faintest idea what you mean, detective." 

"Just admit it. You've been avoiding me and I want an explanation." Juno twists his jacket in his hands. "Which, I guess sounds a little ironic considering that-"

"Considering that you've been doing the same thing?"

Juno meets his eyes in the mirror. "I was going to say 'considering I owe you one'."

Oh. 

So they're going there.

He uncaps a tube of lipstick so he won't have to say anything, resolutely avoiding the lady's gaze as he paints his mouth. "Well," he says when he's finished. "If it's an explanation you're after, I can give you one. I have not been avoiding you, but I haven't actively sought you out because I thought you didn't want me to." 

"Of course I wanted you to! Dammit -" Juno stands up. "I've been thinking this conversation over in my head since the moment I saw you on that car. It's just, everything's been so different than I thought it was going to be. Seeing you with Jet -"

"I'm sorry, what does Jet have to do with any of this?"

"You tell me! Damn it!" Juno wrenches his fists like he wants to tear his hair out and takes a few deep breaths. "It's weird," he says slowly, "seeing you with him. Seeing a guy I liked with a guy you..."

"Worked with?"

"I mean, I was going to say slept with, but sure." 

Nureyev blinks. "You slept with Jet? When?"

"No, I -" Juno laughs awkwardly and runs his fingers through his hair. "I meant you... god, this is embarrassing."

It hits Nureyev suddenly that Juno was referring to Jet as the "guy he liked". The thought should be very unsurprising when he considers what he knows of Juno's tastes, but this means that he is now pretending to harbor feelings for Jet Sikuliaq to get back at the person he loved, a person who apparently had _genuine_ feelings for Jet Sikuliaq... it makes his head spin. He goes back to filling in his eyebrows in slow, precise strokes. He wants to scream. 

"Well," he says. "If it's unusual for you to see me with him, imagine what it was like for me to wake up and see you nowhere." 

Juno flinches. "That's a low blow -"

"Is it?" Nureyev drops the brush and swivels around in his seat to look into Juno's eyes. "I gave you everythingI had," he hisses. "I let you have my name, I told you about my past. I let you into my  _mind_. And somehow I wasn't good enough anyway. I thought my future would be one way and you came into my life, you - you swung in on a beam of goddamn starlight! And I  _loved_ you. And you _left_ me. You left me without a single word. I wasn't worth a goodbye to you. You were the world to me, but I was nothing to you, after everything we went though together. I was nothing." He leans forward. "So tell me again," he snaps, "what a low blow I've made."

Juno swallows hard. He reaches up to his face, and to his surprise and Nureyev's anguish, there are tears in his eye. "I think," he says shakily, "you just owe me one explanation -"

"Juno, you bastard, I don't owe you anything." 

He hates himself as soon as he's said it. The words are so harsh. If he'd cut Juno open with one of his knives he doesn't think he could feel so guilty, like he's done something that he'll never quite be able to take back. It just burst out of him, so unexpected and cruel and completely unlike the kinds of things he wants to be saying at this moment, and Juno looks heartbroken.

"I'm sorry." Nureyev lowers his eyes. "I didn't mean to sound like that." 

"No, don't apologize." Juno nods. "You're right. I... I understand." 

Nureyev lifts his eyes again. Juno steps closer to him, close enough that he's standing over him slightly. Nureyev gets up from the chair so that he's not in this position; it makes him feel powerless, to be under Juno's eyes like that. "Listen," says Juno. "I'm sorry, okay? I really am. It was just... when I looked at you, sleeping there, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. And..." He clears his throat. It's as if the next words are hard for him to say. While he tries to work them out he reaches up and touches Nureyev's cheek with the back of his knuckles. "For what it's worth," he says, "I hope he makes you happy. I really do."

The thief reaches up and covers Juno's wrist with his fingertips. For a moment, he considers leaning into the touch. It would be so easy - he could tilt his cheek against Juno's hand, kiss the back of his palm, and accept the apology. But those five words are stuck in his head.  _I just couldn't do it. C_ ouldn't go through with the life Nureyev had offered him, he means. And now Nureyev is back to the start, wondering what part of himself which he gave Juno Steel was not good enough. 

He leans in close and plucks Juno's hand from his face. Like a petal from a flower. "You're going to smudge my makeup," he whispers. 

He drops Juno's wrist and walks away before the detective has a chance to see the tears in his eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hypothesis: Jet Sikuliaq is not straight.  
> Evidence: He's a character in the Penumbra Podcast.


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nureyev recruits Jet to learn more about Juno's feelings, but Jet makes him examine his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People who haven't read my fics before: Huh, a flashback. That's an interesting storytelling mechanism. Clearly, the author is employing this technique to bring a past event into the context of the story's present events. 
> 
> People who have read my fics before: Ugh, here she goes with the flashbacks again,
> 
> and
> 
> People who haven't read my fics before: Oh, I see. She's using metaphors and similes to help describe Nureyev's emotions. Wow, comparing a thing to another thing helps to explain what he's feeling. Good stylistic choice.
> 
> People who have read my fics before: *flipping tables* this slut and her mEtApHoRs -

Nureyev doesn't see Juno again that day. By the time he and Rita get back from their heist, the detective is nowhere in sight, and Buddy says that he felt sick and went to bed early. The thief considers pulling the same ruse; really, he doesn't want to be around people any more than is strictly necessary. But he smiles like Emery Fleur always smiles, and he continues to flirt with Jet and listen to Buddy's planning. Same as before. 

It's not till he's alone that he starts replaying his conversation with Juno in his mind. Every word is like a knife working slowly under his skin, and the room is too hot. He tosses and turns and doesn't sleep. 

_"Why don't you get some sleep?" Juno asked. They were deep under the earth in that Martian tomb. A room so dark that he couldn't see the walls. Nureyev lay on the side not sporting bruises courtesy of Miasma's guards. Juno's blankets shuffled; a moment later, the detective was at his side. He knelt on the hard-packed ground and laid his hand tentatively on Nureyev's shoulder. "Hey," he said. "You... you got hurt pretty bad today. You need to get some sleep."_

_"Mm," Nureyev mused._

_"Are you even listening to me?"_

_He rolled over and smiled faintly. The smile hurt his face, causing the cut on his cheek to smart, but he left it be. "Oh, I'm listening," he said. "I love hearing your voice."_

_Juno blushed and ducked his head. Nureyev chuckled as he sat up. "You're the one that needs sleep, it seems." He clicked his tongue, caught Juno's face between his hands. "My delicate little flower, you look positively exhausted! You've been through quite a lot today."_

_"Just this mind-reading stuff. You're the one who got strapped into a torture machine."_

_"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm feeling better already." He scooped Juno into his arms and secured the blanket around him. "You go to sleep, detective," he said. "I can stay up. I don't mind."_

_Juno leaned into his chest like a surrender. His smaller frame curled around Nureyev, all softness and warmth. "I still don't trust you," he mumbled weakly. Nureyev smiled and stroked his hair._

_"Keep telling yourself that, love." He kissed the top of the lady's head. Juno sighed softly. "Now go to sleep."_

_The next day would bring another torture session, and in that one, Juno would go deeper into Nureyev's mind. He would see the red room and the knife and they would both be hurt worse than before. But in that moment Juno slept on him, so close that the thief could feel his heart beating._

And now they're so distant. 

He knows, somewhere in his mind, that he's only making thing worse, but he's so deep in that he doesn't know how to get back out.

"Darling, you're sulking," says Buddy as they look over coordinates. It has been exactly one week since Juno and Rita arrived on the ship, and Nureyev hasn't spoken directly to the detective since their last conversation. "Is something the matter?"

"Sulking?" He lifts his head over his folded arms and smiles weakly. "What gives you that impression?"

"You seem less cheerful than usual. Significantly less cheerful."

"Oh?" He yawns. "Cabin fever must be getting to me."

"You also seem tired," adds Jet. "Perhaps you should go take a nap. We can plot this course without you." 

"No, no, I'm fine." He lifts one eyebrow. "Unless you're offering for to... come nap with me?"

"Emery," sighs Vespa. Vespa, along with Buddy and Rita, has shown her distaste for all of the flirtation going on lately. 

"I am not tired," says Jet.

"Ah. Well, in that case, I'll stay here. But thank you so much for caring about me." He runs one perfectly manicured red nail over the back of Jet's hand on the control panel, adding very softly, "I'm glad someone does." 

He says it more to himself, and to Juno, and no one else seems to hear it.

"So, back to work, then." Buddy pushes Jet and Nureyev's hands out of the way and goes back to typing at the control panel. "Out of curiosity, are any of you fluent in Japanese? I have my eye on a trader out in the Lyra quadrant, but I'm worried about communication." 

"I speak Japanese," says Juno. 

They all look at him in surprise. Nureyev knew that he spoke Japanese, but Emery Fleur doesn't, so he adopts the expression. 

Juno shrugs. "I'm good for more than buying the first rounds," he says. "Being a detective, you pick up a few things here and there." And then he  _smiles_ , a smile so genuine and sweet, unguarded and beautiful. It reminds Nureyev of the smile Juno wore in the underground tomb when they pulled apart from the first of what would turn into many kisses that night.  _I'd like that, Nureyev, I really would..._

It's like sunshine breaking through clouds, like spring rain on parched flowers. He wants to throw out all sense and do anything he can to bring that smile back to Juno's face. He is jealous, suddenly. Jealous of Buddy for drawing that smile out of him, even indirectly. Juno is so beautiful. Does he even know how much?

And he realizes, with a sinking casual remembrance as if realizing that he left a candle burning, that he's still in love with Juno Steel. 

But they've already had the big talk they knew was coming. Juno has already offered an apology. He has already walked away from it. He doesn't know how Juno feels and he doesn't know how to find out. It's too late now

Unless... unless...

Unless he did something so extravagant, so attention-seeking...

Juno has many skills,  _many_ _skills_ , he thinks a little wistfully, but one thing he does not have is the ability to hide his emotions. Nureyev can read him like a waiting room magazine. If he can't confront Juno directly about his emotions, he has to... find a way to make them show. 

He knows what he has to do. And he knows he's going to regret it.

But that isn't enough to stop him. 

 

It's early in the morning on a Saturday. Buddy, Vespa, and Rita stayed up late in the captain's room watching shows last night, because as Rita put it, "Girl time is _real_ important, even in space! And there's no better time for girl time than the weekends!" So, they will all still be asleep. Juno usually rolls out of bed around eight. That gives Nureyev fifteen minutes. 

He finishes fixing his hair and steps back to look in the mirror. Black shorts. A slinky white top with straps so delicate he could break them if he pulled too fast. A long red silk shawl slung around him. He could look, with a leap of the imagination, like he just got out of bed. The kind of bed with five pillows and rose petals sprinkled on the sheets. A shiver runs through him, because of course the ship is too cold. It's always this way. Too hot and night and too cold in the mornings, and never the way he wants it. 

The thief goes down the hall towards the kitchen, where he knows Jet will be. Motion-sensor lights flick on when he passes under them and then flick off when he steps out of their radius and into the next one. It's like moving in a small bubble of light. Here, in this cold air, his feet moving silently over cold metal, he feels like he's the only person in the world. 

When the door to the kitchen slides open, Jet is already there. As Nureyev knew he would be. He is drinking coffee and doesn't look like he just rolled out of a bed of any kind. In fact, he looks like he's been awake for a while. "Emery, you... seem to have misplaced your clothes," he says, before he catches sight of the look on Nureyev's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly." Nureyev presses the button to close the door and strides into the room. He stands with his hands clasped before him and draws a deep breath. "I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

He lowers his eyes to the floor. "I need you to kiss me." 

Jet looks at him. When Nureyev makes himself look up, the other man's expression is unreadable. Why must he be so unreadable? "Emery, I am flattered," says Jet. "However -"

"No, I'm not asking you for a kiss." He steps closer. "I'm asking you for a favor. This isn't about you at all."

Jet stands up. Nureyev is shorter than him by three inches. "I don't understand." Over his shoulder, the kitchen clock says seven fifty-seven. They're running out of time. 

"I can try to explain, quickly," says Nureyev, every word coming out like his throat is full of honey. "I need you to kiss me because I have a problem, and I need to know the answer to it. And that answer is something that I, however competent I may be, simply can't figure out on my own. I can't. And if you do -" His well-tuned ears hear a noise from the hall. A bedroom door sliding open. 

_Juno._

"If you kiss me," he says, "I'll give you the Ruby7 back." 

Jet looks enormously confused. "You will sell the Ruby7 to me?"

"No, I'll give it to you. I -" He can hear footsteps, which shouldn't be because the clock says seven fifty-eight - but it doesn't matter, Juno is still early, and this is his only chance. He can't talk to Juno; he isn't brave enough to find the words, and though he wants to scream and run away he instead bites his tongue and steps closer to Jet. The footsteps are coming closer now. " _Please_ ,Jet. I'm begging you."

Jet still looks confused. He must hear the footsteps. He can probably also hear how Nureyev's heart is about to beat right through his chest, but he doesn't comment on that. Instead, he glances from the clock to the door to the thief's face. And then he says, "Alright." 

The footsteps stop, and right before the door slides open, they both take one step and then they're kissing. 

Kissing Jet Siquliak is... strange. Nureyev has reached up to thread his fingertip's through the other man's hair, and the action holds their faces together. Jet's freakishly large hands are on his hips. He can feel the roughness of his palms, so different from Juno, or from anyone he's ever been touched by for that matter. His mouth is rough, too, and there's no passion between them. Just hot breath and nerves. Nureyev wants to squeeze his eyes shut; he wants to throw himself onto a pillow and sob. Not because this feels uncomfortable or unsafe, but just because it feels so empty and _wrong_. He knows Juno is watching them, but he forces himself to stay still. To count seconds like heartbeats. To keep his lips pressed against Jet's for a moment longer, even if it feels like longer than he can bear. 

He pulls his mouth open once, just for good measure, and then breaks off the kiss. Before the thief turns around he knows Juno will be standing there. What he's not expecting is the look on Juno's face.

He doesn't look angry, or shocked, or hurt. He looks resigned and heartbroken. And there are tears running down his face. As soon as Nureyev sees Juno crying, he starts crying too, and he has to turn around. 

_What have I done?_

"Sorry to-" Juno's voice breaks. "Sor-I'm sorry to, uh." He sniffs. "To disturb you." Nureyev bites back a sob. 

"Do not be sorry," says Jet. "We did not know you would be here." He's corroborating the story that Nureyev has created, and the thief is so, so grateful to him. Nureyev wipes his eyes, shoves away from Jet, and turns back around with his head bowed. 

"I've just remembered, I -" he walks past Juno to the door. "I left something in -"

"Emery," says Juno. 

"I'm sorry, I just - left something in my room- I'm so sorry -" The door slides shut behind him. He can't run fast enough. 

 

~~ 

Jet comes into the rec room while Nureyev is sharpening his knives. "Emery," he says. It's strange to see him speaking and remember that their lips have touched. "I am going to check on the Iris of Jupiter. Would you like to come and see it?"

He would, actually, so he sets down his knives and gets up. Even in this state of hopelessness and pining, he isn't about to pass up the chance to see the object of one of the galaxy's most infamous jewel heists. 

"I'll come with you," offers Buddy. 

"You have already seen the Iris of Jupiter. Now I am showing it only to Emery."

"My my, how mysterious." The woman winks and sidles up to Vespa, nudging her. "What do we think about this?"

"We think it's better to let them be and not get involved."

They laugh as Nureyev and Jet leave the room. Jet leads him down the ship's cramped hallway, past the storage room, to the docking bay where they keep the Ruby7 and Jet's hovercycle. There's a storage cabinet on the far wall, but Nureyev's never been in it. Jet leads him there now. "Please step back," he says as they approach the door "This retina scan cannot see you at the edge of the camera, or it will not work."

"I didn't know this room came with a retina scan."

"It did not. I installed it." The door to the storage cabinet slides open. "After you." 

Nureyev steps in. It's about half the size of his bedroom, completely bare save for a small table exact center. The Iris of Jupiter, dark and shimmering, sits at the center of the table underneath a glass storage case. It's smaller than Nureyev expected it to be. 

"Lovely," he says. 

"Thank you. I like it very much." Jet presses the door button to close it and turns to look at Nureyev. He stands steady, blocking the door, hands in his pockets. "I know what you are doing."

Nureyev feels a chill run over him.

"I know what you are doing. And you need to stop." 

"I'm not sure what you mean." 

"It did not make sense to me, at first." Jet strides over the table. "I realized that you were flirting with me, but I could not understand your motives. You had not ever demonstrated any interest in me. And I do not seem to be your type at all. So, I was confused, but I chose not to call you out before everyone. First, I wanted to figure out what you wanted." He puts on a pair of gloves, lifts the glass case over the gemstone. "Then I remembered what you had said to me before I went to get Juno and Rita," he continues. "I do not recall the exact words of our conversation. However, I do remember one specific thing you told me. You said that Juno hurt you"

"I don't understand why you're saying this."

"I think you do." Jet glances at him as he polishes the gemstone. "I may not know how exactly Juno hurt you. But when I considered what I know of him with what I know of you, it seemed to me that you two had a relationship. That it ended badly."

"He left me," Nureyev whispers. 

"I thought as much. However, I did not have it all figured out until this morning when you asked me to kiss you. Then I understood." He puts the gemstone down with a quiet thud and makes eye contact. "You wanted to make him jealous. You wanted him to think that you were with me to remind him that he could not be with you anymore. I wondered why you did not simply talk to him, but when you both started crying I realized. You have already talked to him, haven't you? And it went badly."

"He hurt me." Nureyev is on the edge of tears. "He walked away from me, but when he came to talk to me -" He shakes his head. "He wanted  _me_ to give an explanation to  _him_! He wanted me to apologize!"

"And did you?" 

Nureyev laughs sharply; it's hardly a laugh as much as it is a harsh cry for help. "Why should I? What do I have to be sorry for?"

"I think you know, perhaps, that Juno was depressed." 

"Of course I knew! He doesn't exactly hide it!" 

"And yet you wanted him to go with you."

"I wanted him to tell me what _he_ wanted! I wanted him to talk to me like an adult, not storm out on me! Have you talked to him?" He's shouting now, his voice echoing off the walls. "Did he tell you that he locked me out of a room to listen to him die, hmm? Was that something you discussed? Or, ah, here's a good story -did he tell you that he had sex with me and then left me asleep in a hotel room?!" Jet is maddeningly silent. "Well, answer me! He put you up to this, didn't he?" 

"He did not put me up to anything. I am confronting you on my own intuition."

"Well, you have no right to!" He jabs his finger in Jet's face. "This is not any of your business!"

"With all respect, Emery, this became my business when you decided to use me." 

"I never -

"You used me." 

He stops short, frozen in his tracks. There are tears stinging his eyes now but he's too shocked to wipe them away. 

"You have been using me." Jet nods slowly, a little sadly. "I am not angry. If I had been I would have put a stop to it. But now you have been damaging your relationship with Juno even further in the process. You could not bear the fact that he hurt you, or that you are still in love with him, so you have punished him for it." 

"I wasn't trying to punish him." 

"Yet that is what you have done." He covers the Iris of Jupiter with the glass case again. "Maybe you did not intend to. Maybe you were not even sure what you intended when you began this scheme. But now you have hurt Juno and you have hurt yourself. You said you wanted him to talk to you like an adult, but you have not granted him that same privilege by giving voice to your own feelings." 

"He  _broke my heart_ _!_ " Nureyev hisses, tears pouring down his face. "I gave him everything I was! He let me think that someone loved me for the first time in my life, that I was worth something to someone, that I mattered to someone. And then he took all of that away from me and just left without even saying goodbye;and now I have to be here and see him again, and it's destroying me. I couldn't just let him get away with that! I had to do _something,_  even if that meant roping you into this, even if it killed me, I couldn't just stand here and let him hurt me first!Don't you understand?" He's sobbing, tears blurring his eyes, his entire body shaking. "I couldn't tell him how I felt - I was too angry!" 

Jet waits for him to catch his breath, taking his gloves off slowly. Once Nureyev has wiped his eyes, the other thief looks right into them. "No, Emery," he says gently. "You were too afraid." 

He goes to the door and walks out, leaving Nureyev alone with the Iris of Jupiter. When the door slides shut behind Jet, he flinches. Tears roll down his face and then drip, with a soft spatter, onto the floor; but he is the only one to hear them fall. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The absolutely INCREDIBLE art at the end of this chapter was created by mkasznia, who is just so insanely talented and who granted me a gift which I do not deserve by creating this masterpiece. The facial expressions! The shojo manga style! The gauzy red shawl! If you haven't checked out mkasznia's amazing fanart on Tumblr or Instagram, folks, you're really missing out. 
> 
> Nureyev's internal monologue this chapter: I don't know what Juno feels about me and at this point I'm too afraid to ask.
> 
> My guide to seduction:  
> 1\. Make sure the person/group you are seducing is not uncomfortable, and stop flirting if they ask you.  
> 2\. Have consent from the other person/people before making unexpected physical contact, such as kissing.  
> 3. ~~Once you have them where you want them, lean in close, make eye contact, lick your lips, and whisper in a low voice, "I once ate an entire ball of mozzarella cheese in one sitting."~~  
> 


	4. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nureyev does what he should have done a long time ago. He talks to Juno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are: the last chapter! I have to say that I'm really proud of this fic. It's probably my favorite one so far. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. This past week has been a great experience of plotting, writing, ripping out people's hearts, and posting. So thank you to all who came on this journey with me. This story may not have gotten as much attention in comparison with my past fics, but the community of readers on it has been so loyal and supportive that I've been moved almost to tears. I love you weird internet people. 
> 
> Now get the tissues ready for this chapter. We're all in this together.

The door slides open. Nureyev half-wishes that it hadn't. 

Juno sits on the other side of the door. One hand is pressed against the button that opened the door, but the rest of him faces away as he walks back to the chair he's just vacated. "Make it quick, Bud," he grumbles. "I'm kinda busy at the moment." 

Nureyev slips through the doorframe. "I hope I'm not a disappointment." 

Juno whips around in surprise. Nureyev smiles slightly and reaches to close the door. "Do you mind?" When Juno nods, unspeaking, he closes the door and steps into the room. He stands still for a moment, surveying the clothes laid out on Juno's bed, and the makeup spread over his table , just like how Nureyev leaves his own makeup. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah." He gestures vaguely. "I'm supposed to be stopping on Venus for a trade. Vespa wants me to get used to it." 

"Vespa is a very smart woman." 

"Guess so." 

Having run out of things to say, they fall silent. Juno is pointedly avoiding his eyes. It's painful, even more so when he realizes he deserves it. After a long moment, Nureyev reaches over to the table and plucks a hair clip from a pile lying there. "Do you want help with this?" he asks, turning the clip between his slender fingertips. He would understand if Juno just told him to get out. Instead, Juno nods with faint surprise. 

"Uh, be my guest." He sits on the chair. Nureyev grabs a comb and sets to work on Juno's mess of dark hair, hesitating only a moment before letting his fingertips brush one dark curl. Juno's hair is curly, and soft, and springy against his hands. It's also very tangled. He's as gentle as possible, moving the comb slowly, his hands stroking softly, turning Juno's head with the lightest touch. It's intimate, to be this close to him. Juno seems on edge at first, but after a while he relaxes under the touch. And eventually Nureyev starts to speak. 

"When I first heard you were on this mission," he begins, "I thought about backing out. I had told you, after all, that if you didn't want to come with me I would leave Mars for good. You would never have to see me again. To break that arrangement now would seem unfair to you, after you had clearly made your choice. But Buddy and Vespa told me they needed me. They made a very convincing argument... and they also offered to pay me quite well." That makes Juno smile. At that smile he thinks he could melt, but he only smiles back and keeps working at the lady's curls. "So," he said, "I decided to come onboard. But that forced me to confront the fact that I would be working with you, which meant, of course, that we would inevitably have to discuss what happened between us." He stops speaking for a moment to set the comb down. "I confess," he continues, picking up the clip. "I was terrified. The decision you made hurt me. I wasn't sure how to handle my own hurt or how to acknowledge your life since you left me. And I wasn't sure how to maintain a professional relationship in light of that. I knew it would be hard to be near you again. It has been." He twists the clip into Juno's hair. "So I made a decision," he says. "And it turns out I made a very poor one." 

Juno is looking away from him. Nureyev turns the chair around, gently, letting Juno decide whether to look up or not. After a moment, he does. 

"I decided to make you jealous," the thief says, holding Juno's gaze. "I decided to create a fiction to accomplish that goal. It was immature at best and harmful at worth. But the simple truth, Juno, is I had no idea how to talk to you." He reaches out, slowly, and puts his hand under Juno's chin. "Do you want eyeliner?"

"Uh." Juno blinks at this sudden change in topic. "Eyeliner? Sure, yeah, there's some on the -"

"Use mine." A pencil appears between his fingers. "It's better." He gets down on his knees to be level with the chair and holds Juno's face in one hand. "So," he continues, directing his words to the pencil as he paints in the line of Juno's eyelid. "I decided to bring Jet into this. It was vastly unfair to him, I know, but I did it nonetheless. You have to understand, Juno, I've been alone for twenty years, always changing aliases, never staying in one place for long. I'm not very good at human interaction." 

"I can tell," Juno mumbles, which makes him laugh. He finishes lining Juno's eye, realizes that he doesn't have to do the other, and reaches for a pair of earrings instead. 

"That isn't an excuse, though," he says. "But I've been so entirely blind to my mistakes recently that I was using it as an excuse. I was using anything as an excuse, anything at all, as long as I didn't have to talk to you. Because then, my dear detective, I would have to acknowledge that you hurt me. And deep down, I feared what that said about _me_. That I was not enough to make you stay, perhaps, or that I was unworthy of the love you seemed to feel for me." As he finishes clipping on one of Juno's earrings, he lets his hand linger above the lady's cheek. Juno could easily nudge his hand away, or just ignore it. Instead, he tilts his face against it. His skin is so warm. "I realize now that this was selfish of me," Nureyev whispers. "I thought everything that happened between us was about me. What  _I_ had done wrong. What  _I_ failed to give to you. And now I see that maybe you... simply weren't ready for what I was asking of you. That doesn't mean you were justified in walking out like you did." He smiles sadly. "But then, I have been so little justified in everything I've done since." 

He's shaking now, so he focuses on fixing Juno's other earring. The detective watches him with a mixture of fear and hope.

"I have wanted so badly to communicate my feelings to you." Nureyev's voice is little more than a whisper. "And yet, all I've managed to do is hurt you and myself more than either of us deserved to be hurt again. So now there is something I must say to you."

He drops his hands from Juno's face, sits back, and draws a deep breath.

"I forgive you, Juno."

Juno bursts into tears. Nureyev feels his heart break a little; he reaches up and takes both of his hands.

"I forgive you, and what's more I want you to forgive me." He clasps Juno's hands, props his chin on Juno's wrist, looks into his face while the lady cries. "I asked too much of you too quickly. I've hurt you. I've wronged you. And my darling, I am so,  _so_ sorry."

Juno sniffles. He wipes his eyes and gives a weak, watery laugh. "Damn it, Nureyev," he whispers. "Of course I forgive you." 

And suddenly everything feels right. 

Nureyev smiles and presses his face against their clasped hands. He kisses Juno's fingers, his palm, the curve of his wrist. Juno gets off the chair and kneels down on the floor next to him. He unlocks his fingers from Nureyev's and lifts the thief's trembling chin with one hand, looking right into him. "Because," he says, "you know that I love you." 

_I love you._

Nureyev sobs and falls forward into Juno's arms. Juno grabs him and holds him like he's about to break, like he's holding him together, and he presses his wet face against Nureyev's neck with a soft kiss to his pulse. They cradle each other tightly, desperation and longing all blending into this single moment. Nureyev runs his hand down Juno's back as his other hand tangles in those soft curls. He's waited so long to hold him like this. "Oh, _Juno_ ," he whispers. "I love you too." 

"Really?" Juno mumbles. 

"Really, my dearest." He pulls back and presses their foreheads together. "I should have said it to you every day since I saw you again. I should have said it to you and never stopped saying it." 

"Well, I guess that's fair." Juno shrugs. "I mean, I hurt you, you hurt me. We're even now." 

"Juno, I don't think that's how relationships work." 

"No offense, Peter, but you're really not the best source of relationship advice." 

He laughs. "No, I suppose not, am I? Neither of us know how to... make a relationship work." 

Juno nods and tucks back a piece of Nureyev's hair. "So I guess," he mumbles. "We could find out... together?" 

Nureyev smiles and pulls him closer. "I'd like that." 

When he thought about what it would be like to kiss Juno Steel again, he thought of passion. He thought of clinging hands and tangling limbs, as they kissed with despair and passion and tongue, the two of them against the entire world - like how it felt that night after fighting Miasma. He thought they'd forget what breathing felt like. He thought they'd never let go. 

This isn't like that. 

Kissing Juno Steel is like snow melting on a green planet. It's like breathing in after coming out from underwater. As their lips touch and a year of sorrow is lost to time, the thief feels his skin flush with warmth, his heartbeat steady, and every cell of his being comes alive. Juno leans into him. He can feel his heartbeat through his shirt. Juno smiles into the kiss; his eyelashes are feather-light upon Nureyev's skin; he smells like musk and makeup and earth. The kiss is soft, and gentle, and better than anything in the world. 

They break apart and smile. Then they fall back into each other, and Nureyev picks Juno up and spins him around in his arms and kisses him again. When they're done they collapse to the floor laughing. Nureyev studies Juno's face. 

"I've smudged your makeup." 

"It doesn't matter." 

"Say that when you're late for your trade deal." He grins and squeezes Juno's hand. "We're really going to try this?"

"I want to try everything in the galaxy with you, Peter." 

He lifts an eyebrow and smirks suggestively. "I'll certainly keep that in mind." 

"Yeah," Juno replies, grinning, "Well, I have to be at this heist thing in like fifteen minute, so." Juno stands up and get into the chair again, touching up his makeup quickly. Nureyev stays on the floor; something has occurred to him. 

"Peter?" he says. 

"Hmm?"

"You called me -"

"Oh, yeah. Do you mind?"

He grins. "To be quite honest, Juno, I've fantasized about hearing you say my first name for so long that I doubt I could mind if my life depended on it."

Juno laughs and goes back to his makeup. He keeps glancing at Peter in the mirror and smiling at him. "God, you're so hot," he mumbles. "I missed this." 

"So did I, darling." Peter scoots up against the chair and lays his head in Juno's lap. "So did I." 

 

Juno leaves after that for his trade deal with Vespa. When he gets back, it's late. The rest of the crew is already in bed. The exception to this is Peter, who sits in the rec room/meeting room/storage room with a mug of tea that he hasn't touched, trying not to worry too much. This is just a trade deal. Those are about as simple as it gets, really, and besides, he has Vespa with him. And Juno is a very capable person; he can certainly defend himself.  _Defend himself from what?_ he thinks, shaking his head. Really, he's fretting too much. Juno will be fine. Juno will be safe. 

But after knowing that Juno loves him again, to lose him now would be unbearable. 

He runs his fingertip up and down the handle of the mug, watching the clock as minutes tick by. What if something has gone wrong? What if Juno is dead? Did Vespa remember to bring her comms; he doesn't know Juno's comms signal, and if Vespa forgot hers then he won't be able to contact them, and they won't be able to contact him if they need help. 

He thinks he's going to go crazy, but then the door slides open and the two ladies come in. They look weary, but excitement flickers in their eyes, suggesting that the deal was difficult but ended happily. 

"Juno!" Peter exclaims, jumping up from the couch. He holds out his arms and Juno runs right into them. Vespa smiles understandingly. 

"I'm off to bed," she says. "You should be proud, Steel. You did really well." She winks at Peter and disappears down the hall. 

Peter draws back from Juno. "Everything went smoothly, I take it?"

"Oh yeah." Juno grins. "I'm getting really good at this whole law-breaker thing. You won't believe all the crimes I'm going to commit." 

"You're cute." Peter laces their fingers together. "Can I walk you to your room?" 

Juno looks at him for a moment with a sly grin. He nods once and they go down the hall together. When they walk right past Juno's room neither of them comments on it, and neither of them comments when they turn the corner to Peter's room - which, incidentally, is slightly farther from the rest of the crew than Juno's is. They both go into the room and close the door behind them and they don't comment on that either. In fact, it's not until Juno says, "Kiss me," that either of them makes any sound at all. 

Tomorrow morning they will wake up together. Outside the window will be darkness, the darkness that there always is in space, but here in the warmth of their love and the artificial glow of the ship, there will be light. They'll stretch against each other and nestle back under the blankets, mumbling about five more minutes, rubbing sleep out of their eyes. Comfortable. Together. With a future stretching before them like a road of stars. 

But before that, they'll lie in bed together at night, damp with sweat. They'll exchange forehead kisses and love confessions, tracing the outlines of each other in the semi-darkness. Then eventually they'll curl around one another and drift off in a tangle of limbs, breathing in tandem until sleep claims them. After all they've been through, they deserve this. They deserve to forget the world outside this room. They deserve to sleep like the dead. 

But before that they have some living to do. 

 

 

~~

Jet polishes his hovercycle twice a week. The wax is his only opulent indulgence- it's the kind that leaves the metal shiny but doesn't smudge the clothes of the person using it. Stuff like this is only bought at high prices or stolen from people with high net worths. Peter wonders how Jet came by it, but he doesn't ask. A master thief never tells.

"I thought I'd find you here," he says. 

"I am often here." Jet sets down his waxing cloth and wipes his hands on a towel. He nods with an understanding look. "I take it you and Juno have made up." 

Peter smiles and touches his neck absently. "We have," he says. "And we're going to try a relationship, whatever that might look like for us. It won't be easy, but we'll figure it out. Together." 

"That is good." Jet nods. "I am very happy for both of you. But that does not explain why you are here." He frowns. "You are not... still planning to seduce me, are you?" 

"No, thank god." Peter holds out the bundle in his arm. "I've brought you a gift," he says. "As a thank-you. And an apology." He continues, as Jet takes the new jacket, "You've helped me so much over these past few days, and I wanted to repay you, even in a small way." 

Jet smiles. "It's beautiful," he says. "Thank you." 

"No, thank you." He shrugs. "I may not have treated you well, but you've been nothing but kind to me. So if I haven't made things too uncomfortable between us, I hope that we can be friends."

"I would like that very much."

"Good. Oh, and -" He reaches into the pocket of his skirt and fishes out the Ruby7's keys. "I still owe you this." He glances wistfully at the car, parked nearby. "For the favor you gave me. It's yours again." 

Jet takes the keys and follows Peter's gaze to the car. Then, with a smile, he places the keys back in Peter's palm. "Keep it," he says. "You have a lady to impress." 

Peter slides the keys back into his pocket and grins his sharp smile. "Thank you." 

"You are welcome."

As Peter starts to walk away, Jet adds, "Oh - and Emery?" 

Peter turns "Yes?"

"Do not ever flirt with me again." 

The thief laughs and leaves the room. Right now, he has someone else to love. And this time it's real. 

 

 

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter is so powerful he started this day faking a relationship and ended it in bed with Juno Steel and if that isn't gay rights I don't know what is. 
> 
> So that's it! I'm going to really miss this little story. Thank you all for your dedicated readership, and thanks most of all to the wonderful Pierogies4days for having the conversation with me that sparked this piece.
> 
> I'm going to actually take a break from Jupeter now to work on other stories, especially my original work. But that doesn't mean I'm done! Follow my account for more fanfic coming from me very soon (and hey, I'm going to write some Bouquet), and stay tuned for my original fiction podcast coming later this spring! 
> 
> You guys deserve the world. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Peter Nureyev seduced his way into this mess, and Peter Nureyev will seduce his way even deeper into this mess, and then maybe at some point, Peter Nureyev will seduce his way out of this mess, but first he will cause a lot of drama.


End file.
